15 January 2008

as far as I can tell from listening to his speeches and "reading" The Audacity of Hope as an audiobook, Obama is almost devoid of the megalomaniac and sociopathic tendencies so common among top-level politicians.

The Greek word sophrosyne is usually translated as "temperance" or "moderation." But its core meaning seems to be closer to "self-command" or "sanity." That's the characteristic that shines through the speeches and actions of Abraham Lincoln. It's on Obama's sophrosyne, even more than on his intelligence, that I'm prepared to bet.